Ceiling structure



July 1960 HERBERT K. WONG 2,943,367

CEILING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 2. .1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

INVENTOR. 3 Herbert K Wong Attorneys July 5, 1960 HERBERT K. WONG2,943,367

CEILING STRUCTURE Filed Dec 2. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F i g. 3

5-6 I03 I? l2 l4 l3 F i g. 4

F i g. 5

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INVENTOR. Herbert K Wong Attorneys CEILING STRUCTURE Herbert K. Wong,San Francisco, Calif., assignor by mesne assignments, to University ofIllinois lioundation, Urbana, 111., a non-profit organization ofIlhnors,

Filed Dec. 2, 1955, Ser. No. 550,543

Claims. (Cl. 20-4) This invention relates to ceiling structuresconsisting of light-weight panels supported by a grid, and in particularto improvements in such structures whereby the panels are securely heldin place within the grid but may easily and quickly be removed whendesired for cleaning or for other purposes.

In modular ceiling structures, having a plurality of panels arrangedside-by-side like tiles to cover a ceiling area, it is often desirableto use light-weight ceiling panels, made from thin embossed sheets ofplastic or the like, which may have sound-absorbing properties and whichmay be translucent for transmitting and diffusing light from lightingfixtures installed above the ceiling. The panels are usually supportedby a grid of T-beams or runners having horizontal flanges that underlieand support peripheral portions of the panels.

Because of the light weight of the panels, retaining or hold-down meansmust be provided to prevent upward displacement of the panels by gustsof air or the like. Provisions should be made for releasing or unlockingthe retaining means to facilitate installation of the panels and topermit quick and easy removal of the panels for cleaning, forreplacement of lamps in the lighting fixtures, and for other purposes.

Heretofore, the retaining means in such ceiling structures have beenfairly complex and expensive, or have had other disadvantages.Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide animproved modular ceiling structure having panel-retaining members'of theutmostsimplicity, which are exceptionally inexpensive to manufacture andto install. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear asthe description proceeds.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of this invention, animproved modular ceiling structure has light: weight panels, each with aperiphery containing one or more indentations or notches. The panels aresupported by a grid of runners, each having an upstanding web and ahorizontal flange that underlies a peripheral portion of a panel forsupporting the same. Movable and stationary retaining members aremounted upon the webs of runners located on opposite peripheral sides ofthe panel, and each of these retaining members has a flange thatoverlies a peripheral edge of the panel to prevent upward displacementof the panel by air currents and the like. The flange of each movableretaining member can be moved into alinement with a notch in theperiphery of a panel, to facilitate installation of the panels and topermit quick and easy removal of the panels when desired.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope willbe pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings,

Fig'.' 1 is a fragmentary top view of a ceiling structure embodyingprinciples of this invention, showing one ceiling panel and thesupporting and retaining structure therefor;

. Patented, July 5, 1 960 Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along theline 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a cross-runner of the same-ceilingstructure;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a stationary retaining member of the sameceiling structure;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a, movable retaining member of the sameceiling structure; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing an. alternative movable retainingmember.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Figs. 1 and 2, aceiling panel consists or two parallel nested embossed sheets, 1' and 2,preferably made of lightweight plastic material. Sheets 1 and 2 may betranslucentv for transmitting and diffusing light from lighting fixtures(not shown) mounted above theceiling structure, or, if lighttransmission is not desired, sheets 1 and 2 may be opaque. Flatperipheral portions of sheets 1 and 2 are in contact, as shown, whilecentral portions thereof are embossed outward to, provide an air chamberthat enhances the sound-absorbing characteristics of the panel and alsoimproves the light-diffusing properties. If desired, one of the sheets 1and 2 may be omitted, in which case the panel will consist of a singleplastic sheet. Furthermore, within the scope of broader principles ofthis invention, panels of other materials such as conventional acoustictile may be employed.

Sheets 1 and 2 have nested upstanding peripheral flanges, as shown,which strengthen the periphery of the panel and have other purposes thatwill become apparent as the description proceeds. These flanges areindented, as shown, to form one or more notches 3 in the periphery ofthe panel. Only one notch 3 is essential, but preferably each of thefour peripheral sides of the panel'has a pair of such notches,positioned symmetrically withrespect to the' center of that panel side,so that thepanel may be installed in any desired position. i Theperiphery of the panel preferably is square, and it may beof any desiredsize. According to" the scale of the drawings, the panel illustrated'isabout eight 'inches squ are, but in' practice larger panels aregenerally used. Most frequent ly in practice, each panel is' abouttwenty-four inches square, and in some cases the panels maybe'forty-eight inches square, or larger. Panels that are not square, andin particular rectangular panels that are longer than' they are wide,may also be used in some instances.

The panel is supported by a rectangular grid consisting of parallel mainrunners 4 and 5 and cross-runners6 and 7 extending perpendicular to themain runners. 'Consequently, each panel is supported by four runners.Any desired number of panels and runners may be employed to form amodular ceiling structure covering any desired ceiling area. Thecross-runners may be attached to the main runners by any suitable means(not shown). The

grid of runners is supported by conventional hangers or wires attachedto portions of the building.

Each of the runners is an inverted T-beam having an I upstanding web andhorizontal flanges integral therewith and perpendicular thereto. Flangesof the four runners supporting each panel are in a common planeandunderlie and support the periphery of the panel. The panel may beinstalled from below the. grid by inserting it diagonally edgewisethrough the openingbetween the runners, then turning the panel fiat sothat its periphery lies upon the runner flanges, Althquglrthe weighfo fthe panel tends to hold it in. place, becausethe p very light it may bedisplaced upward by a gust ior c rent of air in the room. Consequently,retaining means are required to prevent such upward displacement of thepanel after it is installed in place, while'per mitting'easy removal ofthe panelwhen such is desired for cleaning the panel or other purposes.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the re taining means forthe panel consist of a stationary retaining member 8 mounted oncross-runner '7, and a movable retaining member. 9 mounted oncross-runner 6. Alternatively, both retaining members may be 'of themovable type. If desired, retaining members 8 and'9 may be mounted onthe main runners 4 and 5 instead of on the cross-runners 6 and 7, ormore than two retaining members may be used. The two retaining membershave flanges that overlie opposite peripheral side portions of thepanel, thereby holding the panel securely in place andpreventing upwarddisplacement thereof. Retaining member 9 is movable lengthwise to acertain extent along runner 6, so that its upper flange, which issmaller than notch 3 in the panel periphery, can be brougth intoalinement with notch 3 for easy installation and removal of the panel.

A side elevation of cross-runner 6 is shown in Fig. 3, and cross-runner7 is identical thereto. The web of each cross-runner contains twohorizontal slots 10 and 11 that are used in attaching the retainingmembers to the cross-runners. Slots 1.0 and 11 are identical, andpreferably are symmetrically placed relative to the center of thecross-runner. Each cross-runner has two slots so that two retainingmembers may be attached thereto, the two retaining members beinggenerally placed on opposite sides of the web for retaining two panelson opposite sides of the runner. Since each side of the panel has twosymmetrically positioned notches, either retaining member may beattached through either of the symmetrically positioned slots 10 and 11.Slot 10, which is identical to slot 11, has a straight horizontal upperedge, and has a lower edge consisting of two flat depressions 12 and 13at opposite ends of the slot between a higher flat portion or plateau14, as shown. Preferably the sides of plateau 14 are slanting oroblique.

The stationary retaining member 8 is best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Thestationary retaining member is punched from a single sheet of metal andis bent into the shape shown. Major portions thereof are flat, coplanarand vertical, and when installed are adjacent to and in contact with aside of the runner web, as is best shown in Fig. 2. A lengthwise portion15 at the top of the stationary retaining member is folded outward, awayfrom the panel, and when installed extends over the top and down theopposite side of the runner web, as shown. A longitudinal folded portionof the retaining member is bent inward, toward the panel, perpendicularto the vertical portions and forms a horizontal flange 16 that overliesa peripheral portion of the ceiling panel. A tab 17, offset outward froma vertical portion at the bottom of retaining member 8, extends througha horizontal slot of the web and down the opposite side of the web. Justabove tab 17 in the same vertical portion, there is a U-shaped cutforming another tab 18 that is bent outward through the slot of the webafter installation of the retaining member to hold the retaining membersecurely in place.

Preferably, all portions of retaining member 8 except tab 18 are bent tothe shapes shown before the retaining member is mounted on the runner.Installation of the retaining member on the runner is accomplished byinserting tab 17 through one of the horizontal slots 10 and 11 in therunner web, so that the major vertical portions of member 8 are incontact with one side of the web, and then pressing the retaining memberdownward so that tab 17 and the folded portion 15 firmly engage theopposite side of the web to hold the retaining member in place. Tab 18is then bent through the horizontal slot in the web, and is adjacent tothe upper edge of the slot. This prevents substantial upward movement ofthe retaining member relative to the web, and thus securely attaches itto the runner.

Tab 17 preferably is substantially equal to length to each of thehorizontal slots 10 and 11, so that retaining member 8 is substantiallystationary on the runner after it has been installed, although tab 17may be somewhat shorter, if desired. Since tab 18 can be bent throughthe slot simply by pressing upon this tab with a screwdriver or thelike, mounting of the retaining member upon the cross-runner is easilyaccomplished at the construction site. The construction of the retainingmember is exceptionally simple and inexpensive, since it is merelypunched and bent from a single sheet of metal.

Movable retaining member 9 is best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Thismember also is punched from a single sheet of metal and bent to theshape shown. A vertical portion of member 9 is adjacent to and incontact with one side of the web of runner 6, as is best shown in Fig.2. The top portion of member 9 is bent inward toward the panel to forman upper horizontal flange 19 that overlies a peripheral side portion ofthe ceiling panel, while the bottom portion of member 9 is bent inwardto form a lower horizontal flange 20 that underlies the peripheralportion of the ceiling panel and lies immediately above the horizontalflange of runner 6. A tab 21 is offset outward from the vertical portionof member 9 and extends through slot 10 in the runner web and down theopposite side of the web, thereby attaching retainer member 9 to runner6. Immediately above tab 21 in the vertical portion there is a U-shapedcut forming a tab 22 that is bent outward through slot 10 when theretaining member is installed on the runner.

To install retaining member 9, tab 21 is inserted through slot 10, withthe vertical portion of member 9 in contact with a side of the runnerweb, and the retaining member is pressed downward until tab 21 engagesthe opposite side of the runner web. Tab 22 is then bent outward throughthe slot 10, adjacent to the upper edge of the slot. This preventssubstantial upward movement of the retaining member, and thus preventsits accidental removal from the runner. The length of tab 21 isconsiderably smaller than the slot 10, so that retaining member 9 can bemoved lengthwise along the runner 6. A depending tab 23, bent downwardfrom the end of flange 20, extends below the horizontal runner flange,and thus provides a convenient means for moving retaining member 9lengthwise along the runner.

The length of tab 21 is substantially equal to the length of flatdepressions 12 and 13 at opposite ends of slot 10. When tab 21 rests indepression 12, flange 9 overlies a peripheral portion of the ceilingpanel and locks the panel in position. When tab 21 rests in depression13, flange 9 is alined with notch 3 so that the panel can be pushedupward to remove it from the supporting grid. The plateau 14 betweendepressions 12 and 13 prevents accidental movement of member 9 from itslocked" position to its unlocked position, since the combined weight ofmember 9 and the ceiling panel resting upon flange 20 tends to hold tab21 within depression 12. However, the retaining member can easily bemoved to its unlocked position by a slight pressure upon tab 23,whenever such is desired. This movement is facilitated by the slantingsides of plateau 14.

An alternative form of the removable retaining member is shown in Fig.6. This member, also punched from a single sheet of metal, has a foldedupper portion 24 that engages the top of the runner web in the samemanner as does the folded portion 15 of retaining member 8. An upperhorizontal flange that overlies the peripheral portion of the ceilingpanel is formed by a lengthwise fold 25, as shown. Oflset tab 26 extendsthrough the slot 10 in the same manner as the tab 21 of member 9. Lowerflange 27 underlies a peripheral portion of the ceiling panel and liesjust above the horizontal flange of the cross-runner. A depending tab 28may be folded under the horizontal flange of the runner to assist inholding the retaining member in place on the cross-runner.

It should be understood that this invention in its broader aspects isnot limited to specific embodiments herein illustrated and described,and that the following claims are intended to cover all changes andmodifications that do not depart from the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ceiling structure comprising a ceiling panel having a peripherycontaining a notch, a grid of runners having horizontal flanges andupstanding webs, said runner flanges underlying and supporting theperiphery of said panel, and a retaining member attached to and movablelengthwise along the web of one of said runners, said retaining memberhaving a flange overlying the periphery of said panel for holding thepanel in place, said flange of the retaining member being smaller thansaid notch so that said panel can be removed when said member is movedto a position where said retaining member flange is alined with saidnotch.

2. A ceiling structure comprising a panel having a rectangularperiphery, said periphery having a first side containing a notch and asecond side opposite said first side, a rectangular grid of runners eachhaving a horizontal flange and an upstanding web, said runner flangesunderlying and supporting the periphery of said panel, a stationaryretaining member mounted on one of said runners, said stationary memberhaving a flange overlying said second peripheral side of the panel, amovable retaining member mounted on another of said runners, saidmovable member having upper and lower flanges respectively overlying andunderlying said first peripheral side of the panel, whereby said panelis held in place, said upper flange being smaller than said notch, saidmovable member being attached to and movable lengthwise along the web ofa runner so that said upper flange can be brought into alinement withsaid notch, whereby said panel can be removed, said lower flange lyingimmediately over the runner flange, and a tab depending from said lowerflange for moving said movable member.

3. A ceiling panel comprising two parallel nested sheets having flatrectangular peripheral portions in contact with each other and havingoutwardly embossed central portions, said sheets having nestedupstanding peripheral flanges, said flanges being indented to form anotch in a peripheral side of the panel.

4. In a supporting structure for ceiling panels, the combinationcomprising a runner having a horizontal flange and an upstanding web,said web containing a horizontal slot, and a retaining member having avertical portion and a horizontal flange, said vertical portion beingadjacent to one side of said web and having an offset tab extendingthrough said slot and engaging the other side of said web to attach saidretaining member to said runner.

5. In a supporting structure for ceiling panels, the combinationcomprising a runner having a horizontal flange and an upstanding web,said web containing a horizontal slot, and a retaining member having avertical portion and a horizontal flange, said vertical portion beingadjacent to one side of said web, said vertical portion having upper andlower tabs extending through said slot, said upper tab being adjacent tothe upper edge of said slot and said lower tab being bent over the loweredge of said slot and extending downward adjacent to the opposite sideof said web.

6. In a supporting structure for ceiling panels, the combinationcomprising a runner having a horizontal flange and an upstanding web,said web containing a horizontal slot, and a retaining member havingupper and lower vertical major portions adjacent to one side of saidweb, the top of said upper vertical portion being folded over the top ofsaid web into engagement with the opposite side thereof, a tab offsetfrom said lower vertical portion extending through said slot andengaging the opposite side of said web, and a longitudinal foldedportion between and bent perpendicular to said vertical portions to forma horizontal flange.

7. In a supporting structure for ceiling panels, the combinationcomprising a runner having a horizontal flange and an upstanding web,said web containing a horizontal slot, and a retaining member having avertical portion and a horizontal flange, said vertical portion beingadjacent to one side of said web and having an oifset tab extendingthrough said slot and engaging the other side of said Web to attach saidretaining member to said runner, the length of said tab being smallerthan the length of said slot, whereby said retaining member is movablelengthwise along said runner.

8. A panel-retaining member for ceiling structures, consisting of aone-piece metal sheet having a flat portion and a horizontal flange bentperpendicularly thereto, having an offset tab bent out from said flatportion on the side thereof opposite said flange, and having a U-shapedcut in said flat portion between said tab and said flange.

9. A panel-retaining member for ceiling structures, consisting of aone-piece metal sheet having two coplanar substantially flat portions,and having a longitudinal folded portion between and bent perpendicularto said flat portions to form a flange, one of said flat portions havinga folded edge, the other of said flat portions having an offset tab,said folded edge and said offset tab being bent out from said flatportions on the side thereof opposite said flange.

10. A panel-retaining member for ceiling structures, consisting of aone-piece metal sheet having two parallel flanges bent substantiallyperpendicular to and on the same side of a flat portion therebetween,said flat portion having an offset tab bent out from the side thereofopposite said flanges, said flat portion having a U-shaped cut betweensaid tab and one of said flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS683,799 Reavis Oct. 1, 1901 923,156 Downie June 1, 1909 999,509 LydonAug. 1, 1911 1,161,316 Jones Nov. 23, 1915 1,644,940 Moyer Oct. 11, 19271,707,008 Havemeyer Mar. 26, 1929 1,975,002 Heerwagen Sept. 25, 19341,978,632 Hoff Oct. 30, 1934 1,997,580 Gibson Apr. 16, 1935 2,009,512Ofiutt July 30, 1935 2,027,004 Stewart Jan. 7, 1936 2,157,316 Arkus May9, 1939 2,569,941 Mastrangelo et al. Oct. 2, 1951 2,728,595 Wong Dec.27, 1955

